The Rumble Ponies’ first baseman/outfielder/designated hitter had an incredible week.
Ryan Clifford was named Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of July 21 – 27. Over that time period, the Binghamton Rumble Pony hit .522/.645/1.130 with four home runs and 12 RBI.
The press release sent out by the Rumble Ponies perfectly encapsulated what was so special about the week:
Clifford, 22, led MiLB (full season affiliates) this past week in OBP, OPS, RBIs, and runs scored. He finished second in the minors and first in Double-A in slugging percentage, and total bases (26). Clifford also finished tied for second in MiLB and tied for first in Double-A in hits, while finishing tied for second in MiLB and first in Double-A in XBH.
Clifford, who was acquired by the Mets at the 2023 trade deadline along with Drew Gilbert for Justin Verlander, has split time between first base (49 appearances), left field (11 appearances), right field (17 appearances) and designated hitter (18 appearances) for Double-A Binghamton. Clifford was previously named Easter League Player of the Week for May 6-11.
Over the season thus far, Clifford is hitting .245/.367/.497 with 21 home runs, 16 doubles, 67 RBI, and four stolen bases. While Clifford’s defense has not exactly been excellent, if his bat continues at this pace, the Mets will find a place for him to play.
The Rumble Ponies are having a fantastic season with a 64-30 record, the best record in the Eastern League, sitting 14 games ahead of their closest competition in the Northeast Division, the Somerset Patriots.